Underrated Album Recommendations for Black History Month

As early as 1926, African Americans recognized their history, heroes and culture in the month of February before the heritage month became formally recognized by the federal government in the ‘70s. 

Now, over 50 years later, Black History Month isn’t only a time for remembrance but a celebration of Black people’s contributions to art, film, literature, music and popular culture as a whole. 

While Black artists like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar have dominated the global music scene, the following list — by no means definitive — seeks to highlight a variety of lesser-known Black artists and albums that not only push the boundaries of their respective genres, but shape music itself as an art form.

‘SCARING THE HOES’ – JPEGMAFIA, Danny Brown 

“First off, fuck Elon Musk / Eight dollars is too much, this past expensive,” JPEGMAFIA raps in the opening seconds of his and Danny Brown’s monumental collab album “SCARING THE HOES.”

Produced solely by JPEGMAFIA, the record’s bombastic beats feature a range of eclectic and unconventional samples, encompassing all aspects of global pop culture, from Kelis’s “Milkshake” to ads for Japanese lamb products from the ‘80s.

In a similar manner, no one is safe from the duo’s castigation, taking aim at celebrities like Kanye West, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and televangelists, to name a few. 

“.45 is sick, I take shots, tongue out like I’m KISS / And the choppa young as Matt Gaetz bitch,” Peggy — a nickname given by fans —  spits on closer “Where Ya Get Ya Coke From?” in a searing condemnation of ex-Congressman Matt Gaetz’s sexual misconduct. 

While the take-downs may be serious, for the majority of the project, the duo seems to be having fun, excitedly trading verses with the occasional laugh or shout. JPEGMAFIA makes fun of his hairline on “Kingdom Hearts Key” while Brown delivers 16 Christianity-inspired sex bars in less than a minute.

Melding internet culture, politics and frequent disses, Peggy and Brown take the blueprint for hip-hop and rip it to shreds, replacing it with the unmerciful, bombastic explosion that is “SCARING THE HOES.”

‘Natural Brown Prom Queen’ – Sudan Archives

Sudan Archives’ (Brittney Parks) “Natural Brown Prom Queen” is sonically unclassifiable. From the unhinged, rage-tinged “OMG BRITT” to the atmospheric R&B of “ChevyS10” and the distorted electropop of “Selfish Soul,” the only unifying force across the 18 tracks is Parks’ self-taught violin euphoria.

Whether she’s rapping, singing or plucking her instrument, Parks takes listeners into her psyche, exploring her racial identity and self-worth while also paying homage to her hometown, Cincinnati, Ohio.

“She copying my style, I know she like my smile, she wanna be me,” Parks sings on “Copycat (Broken Notions).” “But you can’t replace me, why you so thirsty? You so insecure.”

“Natural Brown Prom Queen” is ethereal. “Natural Brown Prom Queen” is aggressive. “Natural Brown Prom Queen” is glitchy. “Natural Brown Prom Queen” is soothing. “Natural Brown Prom Queen” is everything, and then some.

‘Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?’ – Kara Jackson

Written, produced and performed by Kara Jackson, 2019-2020’s U.S. Youth Poet Laureate, “Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?” is a meticulously crafted album full of delicately poetic — yet emotionally destructive — folk songs.

Jackson’s poetic prowess gives way to intensely intimate images, blossoming the banal into bouquets of beauty or the deeply despaired.

“Damn, the dickhead blues / Like a soda straw strangling you,” Jackson sings on “dickhead blues,” detailing her liberation from an emotionally distant male figure. 

Almost every song features her voice over simple plucks of guitar, her slightly deep voice enveloping the listener in a silky yet tight grip. Over its eight-minute runtime, “rat” tells the story of the titular character, a Southern musician who moved to California to escape a failed relationship as his rose-colored glasses begin to crack. 

Other highlights include the unapologetically groovy and confrontational “pawnshop” and the title track, a bluntly solemn reflection on humans’ mortality.

“Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?” isn’t simply a question — it’s a curated collection of Jackson’s thoughts, perspectives and experiences of contemporary society.

‘Topical Dancer’ – Charlotte Adigéry, Bolis Pupul

Spanning English, French, Dutch and Creole, Belgium’s Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul tackle racism, sexism and self-image — especially through the eyes and mind of a person of color — on the wildly experimental “Topical Dancer.” 

“Blenda” confronts xenophobia and cultural assimilation head-on while the creaky and spacious “It Hit Me” explores the pair’s adolescent sexual awakening and the trauma associated with those experiences.

Both Adigéry and Pupul take the helm of writing and producing the album, full of off-kilter beats and distorted synths, with additional production provided by Soulwax.

The duo’s avant-garde approach to electronica — combined with stark social commentary — makes the aptly titled “Topical Dancer” equal parts groovy and unsettling.

‘Splendor & Misery’ – clipping. 

Less of an album and more of an Afrofuturist hip-hop space opera, “Splendor & Misery” centers on Cargo 2331, an enslaved man who wakes up inside a desolate spaceship, accompanied only by an artificial intelligence program.

Growing more and more restless on the ship, Cargo 2331 begins to rap to himself over cacophonic beats comprised of extraterrestrial noise and static. The only thing faster than the ship’s warp speed is emcee Daveed Diggs’ astronomically urgent rapping, at times rivaling the speed of sound.

Beyond the sci-fi themes, covers of traditional gospels and spirituals are scattered throughout the tracklist — often interpolated into the instrumentals themselves — reinforcing the project’s connection to African American history.

clipping.’s “Splendor & Misery” is truly unlike any rap LP out there. When experienced from start to finish, listeners will be transported far into the infinite darkness of the universe — all through the speakers of their headphones.

‘The Turning Wheel’ – SPELLLING

Lush isn’t a strong enough word to describe the flourishing, otherworldly qualities of SPELLLING’s “The Turning Wheel.” 

The Oakland-based singer-songwriter’s chamber pop opus is simultaneously intimate and all-engulfing, due to the perfect balance of overgrown instrumentation and her uniquely high-pitched, theatrical vocals.

From the first seconds of “Little Deer,” the album’s opener, swirling strings surround the listener, accompanied by the crisp percussion of bongos, before heavenly trumpets completely melt them down.

In contrast, “Boys at School” is a dark, intensely emotive reflection on SPELLLING’s isolation growing up, underscored by a hazed, yet predominant electric guitar.

Just like its album cover, “The Turning Wheel” makes me want to envelop myself in a flowy, expansive sheet of silk, its unhindered beauty overtaking all my senses for eternity.